Weed ID & Management in

Turf & Lawns

Brandon W. Boughen
Potter Countyy Agriculture
g & Natural Resources
Extension Agent
Januaryy 17,, 2013

Improving Lives. Improving Texas.

What is a weed?

• a plant that is not valued where it

is growing and is usually of
vigorous growth; especially : one
that tends to overgrow or choke
out more desirable plants.
– Merriam-Webster Dictionary
What we will discuss

• Grass weeds
• Broadleaf weeds
• Sedge weeds
• Crawling or vine weeds
Objectives

• Identify common lawn weeds

• Management
g techniques
• Modes of action
IDENTIFICATION
• Vernation.The arrangement of the leaves of the budleaf (youngest leaf) and the surrounding sheath.
A folded vernation has the leaves folded in a V-shape with the margins meeting, but not overlapping.
A rolled vernation has the leaves curled such that the margins are overlapping.
• Ligule.A protruding structure from the upper surface of the leaf where the blade and the sheath are
joined. This structure may be membranous, a fringe of hairs, or a membrane with hairs. The ligule can
vary in both shape and size, and may also be absent.
• Auricle.A pair of appendages protruding from the side of the grass leaf at the junction of the blade
and the sheath
sheath. Auricles may be blunt
blunt, large and claw-like
claw like and have short hairs attached,
attached or be
absent.
• Sheath.The basal portion of the grass leaf between the crown and the blade. The sheath margins
may be split, split with overlapping margins, or be closed.
• Collar.The region on the back side of a leaf where the leaf blade and sheath are joined. Collars may
be divided by the midrib or be continuous.
continuous Collar shapes vary from broad to narrow and may have
straight or slanted borders.
• Blade.The portion of the leaf, which is divided from the sheath by the collar and ligule. The length,
width, type of tip, and roughness or smoothness are a few of the characteristics of various species.
• Rhizomes.An underground stem that produces a new plant. Rhizomes are present or absent, strong
or weak
weak.
• Stolons.A horizontal, above ground stem that takes root at nodes and gives rise to new plants.
• Seedhead The collection of flowering or seeding parts which are arranged in various ways (spike,
panicle, etc.)
 Disclaimer

• Exclusion of product or chemical names does

not imply criticism, nor does inclusion imply
endorsement by Texas A&M University,
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension or the author.
ANNUAL GRASSY WEEDS
Annual Bluegrass P. annua L
Vernation: folded.

Ligule: membranous, medium long, slightly pointed.

Auricle: absent.

Sheath: slightly compressed, smooth.

Collar: narrow, smooth.

Blades: short, lax, about 1/8 inch wide, the edges are
parallel
ll l to eachh other,
h terminating
i i in i a "boat-shaped"
"b h d"
tip.
Rhizomes: none.

St l
Stolons: none.

Seedhead: short, open, greenish-white panicle,

spikelets flattened
Barnyardgrass
• Vernation: rolled (sometimeappears
nearly folded).

• Ligule: absent.
absent

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: flattened, occasionally with

short hairs
hairs, split with overlapping edges
edges,
purple tinged at base.

• Collar: narrow to broad.

• Blades: flat,
flat narrow at base
base, thick mid
mid-
vein, sometimes sparsely hairy along
edge, edges rough.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: coarse, branching panicle.

Postemergence:
g
Fenoxaprop-ethyl (Acclaim Extra)
dithiopyr (Dimension)
quinclorac (Drive)
Bermudagrass
• Vernation: folded.

• Ligule: fringe of hairs (1-3mm).

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: flattened to round, loose, split

with overlapping edges, sparsely hairy.

• Collar: narrow, continuous, may be hairy

on edges.

• Blades: tapers
p to a p
point, sparsely
p y hairy,
y
edges rough.

• Rhizomes: yes, stout.

• Stolons: yyes,, stout.

• Seedhead: 3 to 5 slender spikes, joining

at the top of the main stem.
Egyptian Crabgrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule:
Li l short
h t membrane
b with
ith h
hairs
i
across top.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: compressed, smooth, with some

hairs near ligule.

• Collar: narrow, smooth, hairs at edges.

• Blades: flat, 7-15mm wide, sparsely

hairy on edges.

• Rhizomes: short, occasional.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: 2 to several thick spikes at

the top of the main stem.
Fall Panicum
• Vernation: rolled.

• Li l fringe
Ligule: fi off hairs.
h i

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: slightly compressed, smooth.

• Collar: continuous, smooth.

• Blades: flat, dull above, glossy below,

mid-vein prominent, 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide,
sharp pointed.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: widely spreading open

panicle, purple tinged spikelets.
Foxtail Barley
• Vernation: folded.

• Ligule:
Li l membranous,
b ttallll with
ith a jjagged
d
edge.

• Auricles: very long, membranous,

twisting not clasping.

• Sheath: flattened, smooth with

membranous edges.

• Collar: broad.

• Blades: flat, sparsely hairy, rough along

the edges, tapering to a point.

• Rhizomes: .

• Stolons: .

• Seedhead: yellow-green, brush-like

spike. Spikelets with long awns
Goosegrass
• Vernation: folded.

• Ligule: membranous, toothed, collar-

like, 0.6-1mm long, edges sometimes
h
have short
h h hairs,
i di divided
id d at center.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: flattened, hairy at top, split with

overlapping edges, edges may have
hairs.

• Collar: broad, crooked fine hairs on

edge.

• Blades: sparse long hairs near base on

upper surface, smooth and sharply
creased below, some hairs on edges, 5-
10mm wide.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead:
S dh d 2 tto 6 narrow spikes
ik att th
the
top of the main stem.
Green Foxtail
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule: dense fringe of hairs, 0.8-1mm

long.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: flattened, edges hairy, split with

overlapping
pp g edges.
g

• Collar: narrow, hairy on edges.

• Blades: soft, flat, narrow at base, 1/4

inch wide,, sharp
p pointed.
p

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: soft, nodding bushy spike,

green to purple, spikelets with long awns.
Large Crabgrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule: membranous (1-2mm long),

toothed edge, reddish.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: flattened, compressed, hairy.

• Collar: broad, prominent with long hairs

at the edges.

• Blades: flat, sparsely hairy, 5-15mm

wide, sharp pointed, rough along the
edges
d with
ihh hairs.
i

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: yes.

• Seedhead: 3 to 13 narrow spikes at the

top of the main stem.
Rescuegrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule: membranous, tall, rounded, often

torn, hairy on the back.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: strongly compressed, hairy to

smooth in older plants, closed, forming a
t b around
tube d th
the stem.
t

• Collar: broad.

• Blades: flat, sparsely hairy, up to 1/2

i h wide.
inch id

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: open panicle, nodding,

spikelets up to 1 inch in length.
Sandbur
• Vernation: folded.

• Ligule: fringe of hairs.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: flattened, loose, sparse hairs on

the edges.

• Collar: broad, sometimes with sparse

hairs on the edges.

• Blades: flat, about 1/4 inch wide,

sometimes folded, tapering to a point,
upper blades often enclosing burs.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: spike with 6 to 20 burs.

Signalgrass
• Vernation: folded.

• Ligule: fringe of hairs.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: compressed, flattened, smooth.

• Collar: medium with sparse

p hairs at the
edges.

• Blades: very short, broad, thick, pointed.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: 2 to 6 slender spikes,

pointing
po g up
upward
ada and
daalternating
e a ga along
o g the
e
main stem.
Smooth Crabgrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule: membranous, tall, rounded.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: compressed, smooth, generally

tinged with purple.

• Collar: broad, sparsely hairy.

• Blades: sparsely hairy near the ligule,

1/4 inch wide, sharp pointed.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seed ead 2 to
Seedhead: o 6 narrow
a o spspikes
es a
at the
e
top of the main stem. Spikelets generally
in two rows on each spike.
Stinkgrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule: fringe of hairs.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: slightly compressed.

• Collar: continuous,, narrow,, long

g hairs at
the edges.

• Blades: dull above, glossy below,

tapered.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: spreading, gray

gray-green
green
panicle, with long, compressed spikelets.
Sudangrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule: membranous, tall, abrupt with a

jagged edge across the top, wider than
the sheaths.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: slightly compressed,

transparent along the edges.

• Collar: broad, smooth.

• Blades: flat, sharp pointed, pale green

above, 1/2 inch or more wide, thick, pale
green mid-vein.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: tall, coarse, open panicle,

oval spikelets with awns.
Wild Oats
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule: membranous, tall, rounded,

rough along the edges, sparsely hairy on
the
h bback.
k

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: compressed, mostly smooth,

occassionally sparsely hairy.

• Collar: medium, smooth, sparsely hairy

at the edges.

• Blades: flat, about 1/4 inch wide, rough

to the touch, sparsely hairy near the
ligule.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: loose, open nodding panicle,

spikelets coarse, nearly one inch long
with
ith short,
h t stiff
tiff hairs.
h i
Witchgrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule: fringe of hairs.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: slightly compressed, purplish,

densely hairy.

• Collar: continuous, broad, hairy.

• Blades: flat, densely hairy, 1/2 inch

wide, sharp pointed.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seed ead widely

Seedhead: de y sp
spreading,
ead g, de
densely
se y
seeded panicle, sometimes half the
length of the entire plant.
Yellow Foxtail
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule: dense fringe of hairs, 1mm

long.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: sharply creased, not hairy,

• flattened.

• Collar: continuous, narrow.

• Blades: long hairs on upper surface

near ligule,
g , flat,, up
p to 12mm wide.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: coarse, brushy spike,

yellow, spikelets with long awns.
PERENNIAL GRASSY WEEDS
Bahaigrass
• Vernation: rolled
((sometimeappears
pp nearly
y
folded).
Ligule: membranous, short,
hairs on back.
Auricles: absent.
Sheath: flattened, sharply
creased, rather glossy and
usually not hairy.
Collar: broad.
Blades: usually sparsely hairy
along edge toward base, 4-
8mm wide, tapering to a tip.
Rhizomes: yyes,, occasional.
Stolons: yes, stout.
Seedhead: 2 or 3 slender
spikes, 2 joined at top with the
rest below.
Broomsedge
• Vernation: folded.

• Ligule: membranous, fringe of hairs.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: very flattened, sharply creased,

long hairs on edges.

• Collar: divided by mid-vein, narrow, hairy

at the edges.

• Blades: 3-7mm wide, compressed near

base, hairy along the edges and on
upper surface near base, edges rough
with long hairs.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: slender and narrow with 2 to

4 seeding stalks.
Carpetgrass
• Vernation: folded.

• Ligule: short, fringe of hairs, fused at the

base.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: compressed, flattened.

• Collar: continuous, narrow, few hairs at

edges.

• Blades: short, 4-8mm wide, rounded at

the tip, not hairy, edges rough near top.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: yes.

• Seedhead: 2 to 5 finger-like arms, 2 at

the top of main stem with others below,
spikelets a single seed.
Dallisgrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule: membranous, up to 5mm long,

rounded.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: compressed, mid-vein

prominent, often long hairs near base.

• Collar: broad, continuous, sometimes

hairy edges.

• Blades: flat, 7-15mm wide, sharply

creased, not hairy except for possibly
hairs at base, prominent mid-vein, edges
rough.

• Rhizomes: occasional, very short.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: 3 to 6 slender spikes,

pointed upward along main stem.
Johnsongrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule: membranous, tall, top jagged

with hairs.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: compressed, smooth, pale

green to reddish-brown.

• Collar: broad.

• Blades: flat, very long, with sparse hairs

near the ligule, 1/2 inch wide, sharp
pointed, mid-vein white and thick.

• Rhizomes: yes, aggressive and thick.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: tall, coarse, open panicle,

with oval, silky spikelets.
Knotgrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule: membranous, tall, rounded.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: compressed, smooth, hairy

edges.

• Collar: broad with long hairs on edges.

• Blades: flat or folded, hairy near ligule,

sparse hairs along edge.

• Rhizomes: yes, strong.

• Stolons: yes.

• Seedhead: 2 spikes at the top of the

main stem.
Lovegrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Ligule: fringe of hairs.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: slightly compressed.

• Collar: continuous,, medium,, hairyy at the

edges.

• Blades: narrow, flat, tapered, rough

above, smooth below.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: delicate, open panicle, hairy

where branches join the main stem.
Nimblewill
• Vernation: rolled.

• Li l membranous,
Ligule: b short,
h t jjagged.
d

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: compressed, flattened, smooth,

split, prominent white membrane along
edge.

• Collar: broad, hairy on edges.

• Blades: short, narrow, flat, pointed, 2-

2.5mm wide.

• Rhizomes: yes.

• Stolons: yes, fine.

• Seedhead: loose, spike-like panicle,

spikelets have long awns.
Orchardgrass
• Vernation: folded.

• Ligule:
Li l membranous,
b very ttall,
ll
sometimes jagged across top.

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: strongly compressed, flattened,

green above-white below, mostly split
part way.

• Collar: divided, broad, distinct.

• Blades: V-shaped, long and pointed,

deep furrow over mid-vein, edges rough.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: panicle, stiff branches

terminating with fan-shaped spikelets.
Quackgrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Li l membranous,
Ligule: b very short.
h t

• Auricles: claw-like, slender, clasping the

stem.

• Sheath: not compressed, lower sheaths

hairy, upper sheaths smooth.

• Collar: broad, continuous, may be

divided, sometimes hairy.

• Blades: 5-12mm wide, flat, rough uper

surface, smooth below, pointed, edges
sparsely hairy.

• Rhi
Rhizomes: yes, strong.
t

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: spike with spikelets facing

th main
the i stem.
t
Smooth Bromegrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Li l membranous,
Ligule: b short.
h t

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: not compressed, closed nearly

to the top.

• Collar: narrow, continuous.

• Blades: 1/4 inch wide, smooth, often

constricted to form an "M" or "W".

• Rhizomes: yes, strong.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: erect panicle, with branches

in a circular pattern around the stem.
Smutgrass
• Vernation: rolled.

• Li l fringe
Ligule: fi off hairs.
h i

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: smooth, round.

• Collar: divided into two parts by the mid-

vein.

• Blades: flat, less than 1/4 inch wide,

tapering to a sharp point.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: long, narrow, spike-like

panicle, often black with smutty fungus.
Wild Barley
• Vernation: rolled.

• Li l membranous,
Ligule: b short.
h t

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: compressed.

• Collar: divide by the mid-vein.

• Blades: narrow, long, tapering to a point,

rough to the touch.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: yellow-green to purple,

nodding, bushy spike, 11/2 tp 3 inches
long, spikelets with long, barbed awns,
rough to the touch.
Windmillgrass
• Vernation: folded.

• Ligule: membranous, tall, hairs at the

top.
p

• Auricles: absent.

• Sheath: compressed, very flat, with a

sparsely
spa se y hairy
a ya and
dpprominent
o e mid-vein,
d e ,
edges are transparent.

• Collar: broad, with long hairs.

• Blades: narrow, short, 1/8 inch wide,

folded, crowded at the base, sparse hairs
on the prominent mid-vein.

• Rhizomes: none.

• Stolons: none.

• Seedhead: long slender spikes

spreading away from the main stem in a
circular p
pattern,, 1 to 3 spaced
p g
groups,
p ,
spikelets with long awns.
BROADLEAF WEEDS
Black Medic
Common Chickweed
White Clover
• Use a surfactant on Black Medic,
Common Chickweed & White
Clover
Dandelion
Curly Dock
Dollarweed (Pennywort)
Field Bindweed
• Bindweed Mite
• Spray
y when flowering,
g often
Whitestem Filaree
Henbit
Knotweed, Prostrate
Prickly Lettuce
Broadleaf Plantain
Purslane
Creeping Spurge
Spotted Spurge
• Use surfactant
Bull Thistle
Canada Thistle
Musk Thistle
• Tordon 22K
• Spray
y early
y when in rosette
Creeping Woodsorrel
Yarrow, Common
Shephrd’s
Shephrd s Purse
Redstem Filaree
Horseweed
Silverleaf Nightshade
Redroot Pigweed
Russian Thistle
Dodder
• Burn
• Mechanical
Yellow Nutsedge
MODES OF ACTION
• Mode of action refers to the effect
a herbicide has on a plant
• Preemergence- kill weeds shortly
after they germinate
• Postemergence- kill weeds that
are already growing and visible
Eight modes of action
• Growth regulator
• Ph t
Photosynthesis
th i iinhibitors
hibit
• Pigment inhibitors
• Seedling growth inhibitors
• Cell membrane disrupters and
organic arsenicals
• Lipid synthesis inhibitors
• Amino acid synthesis inhibitors
• Other amino acid synthesis
inhibitors
Growth regulators

• Widely used to
control broadleaf
weeds
• Upset the normal
hormonal
balance of the
p
plant
 Photosynthesis inhibitors

• Critical to cotton,
corn and rice
production in
Texas
Pigment inhibitors

• Bleaching
herbicides
• Destroys
D t
carotenoids
Seedling growth inhibitors

• Root inhibitors: • Shoot inhibitors:

interrupt cell disrupt cell
division growth
• Works well on • If over applied,
small-seeded may become
broadleaf and ineffective
grass seed
g
 Cell membrane disrupters

• Destroys cell
membranes and
causes rapid
dessication of
plant
• MSMA is OK, but
onlyy for Cotton,,
golf course, sod
farm, right-of-way
Lipid synthesis inhibitors

• Act only on
annual and
perennial
grasses, not
broadleaf plants
• If grass weeds
are stressed the
herbicides will be
less effective
Amino Acid synthesis
I hibit
Inhibitors

• Controls both
broadleaf and
grasses has soil
grasses,
and foliar activity
• Essentially
nontoxic to
mammals
Other herbicides

• These herbicides
are nonselective
• These
Th h
herbicides
bi id
have not yet
been classified to
a family
BRANDON.BOUGHEN@AGNET.TAMU.EDU
 Good websites
• HRAC Global
– http://www.hracglobal.com/Home/tabid/121/Default.
p g
aspx
• WSSA
– http://www.wssa.net/index.htm
• WEED ALERT
– http://www.weedalert.com/
• TWIG
– http://twig.tamu.edu/weedid.htm
• PAN
– http://www.pesticideinfo.org/
Resources
• Texas AgriLife Extension Service
• U i
University
it off C
California
lif i IPM O Online
li
• University of Illinois Turfgrass Program
• Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide
• Colorado State University, Denver County
Extension Master Gardeners
• University of Tennessee Cooperative Extension
• Herbicides, how they work and the symptoms
they cause; AgriLife Extension – E-529
E 529
• www.extension.org
• EPA